> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firebolt.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

<AgentInstructions>

## Submitting Feedback

If you encounter incorrect, outdated, or confusing documentation on this page, submit feedback:

POST https://docs.firebolt.io/feedback

```json
{
  "path": "/reference-sql/commands/data-definition/alter-location",
  "feedback": "Description of the issue"
}
```

Only submit feedback when you have something specific and actionable to report.

</AgentInstructions>

> Reference and syntax for the ALTER LOCATION statement.

# ALTER LOCATION

Modifies an existing location object in your Firebolt account. You can use ALTER LOCATION to rename a location, update its URL, or modify its credentials while maintaining all dependent objects.

For a comprehensive guide to LOCATION objects, see [LOCATION objects](/guides/security/location).

**Topics:**

* [Notes](#notes)
* [Syntax](#syntax)
* [Parameters](#parameters)
* [Examples](#examples)
* [Error handling](#error-handling)

## Notes

* All identifiers are case-insensitive unless enclosed in double-quotes
* Location modifications maintain all dependent object relationships
* External tables using the location remain valid after modifications
* For more information about object identifiers, see [Object identifiers](/reference-sql/lexical-structure/object-identifiers)

## Syntax

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
-- Rename a location
ALTER LOCATION [IF EXISTS] <location_name> RENAME TO <new_location_name>

-- Update location URL
ALTER LOCATION [IF EXISTS] <location_name> 
SET URL { = | TO } '<new_url>'

-- Update location credentials
ALTER LOCATION [IF EXISTS] <location_name>
SET CREDENTIALS { = | TO } (
    AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = '<aws_access_key_id>' 
    AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = '<aws_secret_access_key>' 
    [ AWS_SESSION_TOKEN = '<aws_session_token>' ] 
    | 
    AWS_ROLE_ARN = '<aws_role_arn>' 
    [ AWS_ROLE_EXTERNAL_ID = '<aws_role_external_id>' ]
)
```

## Parameters

| Parameter                 | Description                                                                                                                                     |
| :------------------------ | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<location_name>`         | The identifier of the location to modify.                                                                                                       |
| `<new_location_name>`     | The new identifier for the location. Must be a valid identifier, see [Object identifiers](/reference-sql/lexical-structure/object-identifiers). |
| `<new_url>`               | The new Amazon S3 URL in the format: `s3://{bucket_name}/{path}`                                                                                |
| `<aws_access_key_id>`     | The AWS access key ID.                                                                                                                          |
| `<aws_secret_access_key>` | The AWS secret access key.                                                                                                                      |
| `<aws_session_token>`     | The AWS session token.                                                                                                                          |
| `<aws_role_arn>`          | The AWS role ARN.                                                                                                                               |
| `<aws_role_external_id>`  | The AWS role external ID.                                                                                                                       |
| `IF EXISTS`               | Optional parameter that suppresses the error if the location doesn't exist.                                                                     |

## Examples

### Rename a location

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
ALTER LOCATION my_location RENAME TO my_new_location;
```

### Update location URL

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
-- Basic URL update
ALTER LOCATION my_location 
SET URL = 's3://new-bucket/new-path/';

-- Update URL using TO syntax
ALTER LOCATION my_location 
SET URL TO 's3://new-bucket/different-path/';
```

### Update credentials

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
-- Update to use access keys
ALTER LOCATION my_location 
SET CREDENTIALS = (
    AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = 'new_key' 
    AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = 'new_secret'
);

-- Update to use role-based authentication
ALTER LOCATION my_location 
SET CREDENTIALS TO (
    AWS_ROLE_ARN = 'arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/S3Access'
);
```

## ALTER LOCATION OWNER TO

Change the owner of a location. The current owner of a location can be viewed in the [information\_schema.locations](/reference-sql/information-schema/locations) view on `location_owner` column.

For more information, see [ownership](/guides/security/ownership).

### Syntax

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
ALTER LOCATION <location_name> OWNER TO <user>
```

### Parameters

| Parameter         | Description                                                              |
| :---------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<location_name>` | The name of the location to change the owner of.                         |
| `<user>`          | The new owner of the location. Can be either a user name or a role name. |

## Error handling

The following table lists common errors and their resolutions:

| Error                   | Cause                                                                     | Resolution                                                                                            |
| :---------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Invalid Identifier**  | New location name contains invalid characters or is a reserved keyword.   | Use a valid identifier that starts with a letter and contains only letters, numbers, and underscores. |
| **Location Not Found**  | The specified location doesn't exist or you lack permission to modify it. | Verify the location name and your permissions. Use `IF EXISTS` to handle non-existent locations.      |
| **Name Conflict**       | The new location name is already in use.                                  | Choose a different name or drop the existing location first.                                          |
| **Invalid URL**         | The new URL is not a valid S3 URL.                                        | Use the correct format: `s3://{bucket_name}/{path}`                                                   |
| **Invalid Credentials** | Missing required credential parameters or invalid format.                 | Ensure all required credentials are provided and properly formatted.                                  |